USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Meet the USMNT's first World Cup knockout opponent

So the USMNT should be scared if this match goes to penalties, then?

Yes. Yes it should. Bosnia and Herzegovina has proven itself quite adept at advancing out of penalty shootouts, even when its opponent is playing on home soil.

How has it performed at this World Cup so far?

Admirably! Bosnia and Herzegovina found itself in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, and it exited the group stage with four points and a third-place finish. (It beat Qatar 3-1, drew 1-1 with Canada and lost 4-1 to Switzerland.)

Who are its most important players?

Dzeko is the headliner: The 40-year-old striker is one of the greatest players in Bosnian history and he holds a lot of influence over this young, impressionable squad. 21-year-old attacker Ermin Mahmic is the team's top scorer with two goals to his name, and 18-year-old winger Kerim Alabegovic has proven himself to be one of the tournament's most efficient attacking players. (Alabegovic came up through the Bayer Leverkusen system; that means he's teammates with USMNT playmaker Malik Tillman.)

For American fans, though, the key Bosnian player is 21-year-old attacker Esmir Bajraktarevic. He was born in Wisconsin to Bosnian parents and came up through the USMNT youth system before declaring his loyalty to Bosnia in 2024. The younger members of this USMNT squad will be very familiar to them: He was their international teammate as recently as two years ago.

That's interesting. Were more Bosnian players born outside of the country itself?

Yes! 17 of their 26 players were born outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's not quite a World Cup record — 25 of Curacao's 26 players were born abroad — but it's close.

Does it have any weaknesses?

Yes: It struggles to keep clean sheets. It has yet to keep one at this World Cup, and San Marino was the only team that failed to score against it in World Cup qualifying.

Can the USMNT beat it?

In a word: yes. In more words: Yes, but Bosnia and Herzegovina is no minnow and the USMNT has struggled against European opponents of all skill levels. It hasn't beaten one in 10 straight attempts.

This is a devilishly close game and one that will be decided in the details. It should be a fascinating watch.

The USMNT will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif. on Wednesday.